Dell Prepares Ubuntu Encore

At first glance, Dell’s Ubuntu Linux strategy has hit a couple of bumps in recent weeks. But The VAR Guy has done some digging and learned that Dell and Canonical are working on a few surprises that could bolster Ubuntu’s presence in PC markets around the globe. Here’s the scoop.

Let’s start with two recent hiccups:

* Dell’s U.S. website (Dell.com/Ubuntu) in mid-2009 stopped selling Ubuntu on desktop PCs, though a netbook and notebook option with Ubuntu remain available. A Dell spokeswoman in late July told The VAR Guy that Dell would introduce a new desktop PC in early August. Fast forward to the present (Aug. 28) and Dell still hasn’t made good on that statement.

* Free Software Magazine on Aug. 24 posted an Open Letter to Michael Dell, alleging technical issues with a Dell Inspiron Mini 10 running Ubuntu. Dell’s own social media employees have posted replies offering immediate help, but the open letter has since gone viral on the web.